The world had a global housing crisis before the coronavirus hit, and it is likely to get worse due to the pandemic, according to Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford.
“What we are seeing unfortunately is ... a growing crisis, particularly in the informal settlements. So roughly a billion people now worldwide live in slum conditions, 1.6 billion live in inadequate or substandard housing. And so take all the risks of COVID, and it’s that much worse for almost a quarter of our world,” Reckford said in an interview with Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar.
In the wide-ranging interview, Reckford also addressed how long-term housing trends will be affected by the pandemic shock, as well as implications for international NGOs and the global development community.
Watch this conversation on COVID-19 and housing in full.
For more interviews with leaders on COVID-19, watch:
• Africa’s fintech trends accelerate due to COVID-19
• Gilbert Houngbo on food security and COVID-19
• Bertrand Badré on the pandemic's effect on impact investing
• CEPI CEO on the barriers to COVID-19 vaccine access
About the author
Raj Kumarraj_devex
Raj Kumar is the President and Editor-in-Chief at Devex, the media platform for the global development community. He is a media leader and former humanitarian council chair for the World Economic Forum and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. His work has led him to more than 50 countries, where he has had the honor to meet many of the aid workers and development professionals who make up the Devex community. He is the author of the book "The Business of Changing the World," a go-to primer on the ideas, people, and technology disrupting the aid industry.